With local government elections on the horizon, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) appears to have taken on a mediating role within the tripartite alliance after a fallout between the ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP).

Cosatu is intensifying its calls for reconciliation and strategic coherence within the long-standing political partnership, following the SACP’s decision to independently contest next year’s elections.

A bilateral meeting between ANC national officials and Cosatu, held on Monday in Braamfontein, served as a platform to address these growing tensions. 

While the primary focus of the meeting was to discuss future plans in anticipation of the 2026 local government elections, Cosatu spokesperson Matthew Parks highlighted the broader implications for the alliance.

“It was a very positive and long overdue bilateral,” Parks said.

“It presented space for frank and constructive discussions about what needs to be done to capacitate the state to provide the public and municipal services that working class communities and the economy depend upon, about putting in place urgent interventions to stimulate economic growth through infrastructure investments and industrial financing as well as measures to cushion struggling businesses and workers,” he added.

Beyond economic strategies, a significant portion of the dialogue revolved around the pressing need to mend fences within the tripartite alliance. 

“It was also an opportunity to reflect on the challenges facing the Alliance and what needs to be done to unite and strengthen it especially as we head towards some of the most contested local elections since 1994,” said Parks. 

He highlighted the urgency of translating these discussions into concrete actions saying it was important that those positive engagements’ commitments be acted upon collectively.

The ANC, for its part, affirmed a renewed commitment to the “unity and strategic coherence of the alliance”.

ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu reiterated that the ANC and Cosatu agreed on further engagements regarding the implementation of the ANC’s 10-Point Economic Action Plan. 

This plan, recently unveiled by ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa, aims to accelerate inclusive growth and job creation, with a strong focus on benefiting the working class and advancing “shared prosperity”.

However, even as these discussions unfolded, the issue the SACP’s independent electoral bid loomed large. 

Bhengu acknowledged that the meeting was the first formal bilateral engagement between the two historical allies in some time, highlighting the importance of such dialogues in the current political climate. 

She stressed that the meeting reaffirmed the “deep bond of comradeship and shared responsibility” that the ANC and Cosatu share as partners in the National Democratic Revolution.

“Both organisations reflected with honesty and revolutionary maturity on the challenges confronting the movement and the working class, agreeing that this renewed engagement marks an important step in strengthening and reinvigorating the strategic alliance of the ANC, the SACP, Cosatu, and the South African National Civic Organisation,” Bhengu said.

SACP spokesperson Mbulelo Mandlana said his party was not campaigning for disunity within the tripartite alliance, however, it was important to distinguish between the relationships of the organisations.

“The relationship of the ANC and Cosatu is not subjected to our determination…it’s bilateral…like our relationship with the ANC is bilateral and only becomes a tripartite when we have a common goal,” Mandlana said.

He said the SACP should not be interpreted as divisive.

mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za

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